


A Bloody Mistake

by Bunsandpups



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: M/M, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 00:29:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5070922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunsandpups/pseuds/Bunsandpups
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It started off so innocent, so easy. Now Michael doesn't have control anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Bloody Mistake

            The pressure to perform at work was taking its toll on Michael. Between everything else he was dealing with—moving into a new apartment, a recent breakup, and all the bad memories he kept finding—the additional stress to edit content and get multiple series out on time was just too much.

            He hadn’t meant to start in on this habit. He really, truly started by accident. He was packing up kitchenware one night and dropped a large, sharp knife. He caught it reflexively, hissing in pain as he realized what he’d done. However, alongside the pain was a dull sense of… Well, it wasn’t joy, but it wasn’t the vast emptiness he felt when he tried to think about the direction his future was going in.

            Now it was almost a habit; he would come home, have dinner, take a hot shower to relax, and watch the blood flow down the drain, as if it were the only thing keeping him alive. He recognized it was a problem, but had no idea how to stop.

            Things went on like this for a couple months. It was so routinized that it didn’t matter if Michael was under stress anymore. What mattered was that he wanted to cut, so he did. If anything, it kept him feeling alive.

            Then, one day, someone had come knocking on his door. Michael hadn’t expected it, and the razor slipped against his thigh. This cut was much longer and deeper than he’d meant to make it, and it hurt like no other. He felt dizzy from the pain, and didn’t know what to do.

            “Come in,” he yelled, stopping the evening shower. He had darker pants; if he wore those, he would be okay, right? Whoever it was wouldn’t be able to tell?

            Geoff’s voice floated into the room, and Michael swore under his breath. His boss was incredibly good at figuring out the secrets people were keeping around the office. He’d been there when Ray was going through a really nasty breakup, and talked Gavin out of heading back home when he was afraid that Texas hadn’t been the right decision. What the fuck would Geoff possibly say about this?

            “Michael, I know you’ve been having a hard time, but…” Geoff stopped himself, trailing off as he sniffed the air. Something smelled wrong. It smelled like metal—blood? “Michael, are you okay in there?”

            “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Michael lied. His voice cracked, and he felt like Geoff knew for sure that he was lying through his teeth.

            “Michael, did you cut yourself?” The question was innocent enough, but the edge to it made it sound like Geoff knew exactly what was going on. Michael whimpered involuntarily, and that was all the confirmation Geoff needed. “Is it bad?”

            “Yeah. It’s… It’s really deep. I think I need stitches.”

            “Bandage it as best you can and get dressed. I’m going to take you to the hospital.”

            On the way over, Geoff rested a hand on Michael’s shoulder. “Please, please promise me that this stops. Let me in, Michael. You don’t have to keep doing this.”

            Michael nodded, wishing he could go back to numb. He felt ashamed, like he had disappointed Geoff.

            “Yeah. Yeah, of course.” He bit his lip and looked away as the tears started to roll down his cheeks.

            “It’s okay, buddy.” Geoff’s voice was soft as they pulled into the parking lot. “Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life, right? We’ll start then; you’ll get better, I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's always hard to talk about these kinds of issues. I encourage you to open up if this is something you're dealing with. I know self harming is addictive as hell and it feels so impossible to stop, but I also know that never going back again is a choice well worth the pain to make it.  
> I hope you enjoyed this story, and that you find a little comfort in knowing you aren't alone.


End file.
